Badia - Gherdenacia - La Villa

7,8 km

3,3 h

From Badia to the Ütia Gardenacia Hut and back to La Villa
Overview: Enchanting excursion; passing by traditional farmhouses, crossing meadows and woods, your destination is the Gherdenacia plateau with stunning meadows and larch woods around the eponymous refuge. The view over the whole of Alta Badia and surrounding mountains is truly splendid.
Starting point: Badia – bus stop (1327 m)
Itinerary: Just a few metres south of the bus stop are the road signs. Take trail nr. 5 which goes up towards the west. Following the signs, pass the Hotel Gran Ander, and go south towards Ćiaminades, Paracia and Lêch da Sompunt. Continue on trail nr. 5, which is slightly uphill, alongside a ski slope, passing the Ütia Sponata Hut until you reach the Gardenaccia chairlift station. From here, climb firstly to wards the north, then go left, still on trail nr. 5 which, winding, becomes increasingly steeper. Cross through the mugo pines, until you come to a hop on/ off lift below the face of the Gherdenacia, finally arriving at the plateau and the Ütia Gardenacia Hut (2051m) (2h 20min.). The return to La Villa leaves from the refuge, taking trail nr. 11, in a south-east direction. You come down in a gorge with a narrow loop. At the bottom, stay on a slope to the left (safety cable) until you come to a junction. Continue on the left towards Sponata (nr. 11/B) which brings you to the Gardenaccia chairlift station. If you want to continue on foot (40min.) all you need to do is follow trail nr. 5 to the Ütia Sponata Hut, then continue on the right, following the signs for trail nr. 5/A, which leads to La Villa.
End point: La Villa – bus stop (1427 m)
Refreshments: Ütia Gardenacia, Ütia Sponata
Level of difficulty: medium/difficult walk
Type of trail: large and then simple path